Union supporter rally in front of the Legion, where the UCP caucus was meeting with the Grande Prairie Chamber of Commerce

By Liam Verster

Protest

A dozen union supporters protest provincial cuts in Grande Prairie

Feb 10, 2020 | 5:11 PM

Members and supporters of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) gathered outside the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 54 in Grande Prairie Monday afternoon to protest the United Conservative Government’s policies and actions.

The UCP caucus was at the Legion on Monday, February 10, for a meeting with the Grande Prairie Chamber of Commerce. During the meeting, a dozen protesters marched in front of the Legion, chanting “Shame” and “Kenney has got to go.”

The dozen protesters say the UCP has been attacking health care, education, and other services since being elected in April 2019.

Randy Wald, the President of CUPE Local 787, says Albertans didn’t vote for cuts to service, higher taxes, fewer jobs, and a higher deficit. He adds that, to date, Premier Jason Kenney has broken almost every promise made while campaigning.

Wald says 19,000 jobs were lost this January; the budget has forced Albertans into paying higher taxes, insurance fees and tuition; and cuts are being made to health care, education, and other services. Meanwhile, a $4.7-billion tax cut has been given to profitable corporations.

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He adds the UCP has also directly attacked the unions.

“They attacked our pensions, and now have control over our pension plans. This is done with no consultation from the Unions and other stakeholders, and the UCP rammed this through the legislature in just two days. And now he’s looking at taking over the Canadian Pension Plan as well.”

LeeAnn Kalen, General Vice President for CUPE North, says Kenney is attacking every single Albertan with these policies.

“With the budget, with his cuts, we’re talking about age, we’re talking about people with disabilities, we’re talking about seniors, we’re talking about public service workers. What Jason Kenney wants to do is privatize every single service available in Alberta, and then what he’s going to say is ‘Oh, we can’t feasibly support public services.’ Therefore, he’s going to have to privatize everything, and we’re going to lose our jobs, we’re going to lose our pensions, we’re going to lose everything we’ve negotiated for.”

She says they have deferred wages, taking less money to have a pension, and Kenney needs to leave their pensions alone.

Kalen also points to the recent changes to senior drug benefits, and how people may not be able to afford the medicine they need when the changes come in to effect in March.

Bernadine Trainor, a registered nurse and vice-chair for AUPE Local 43, Chapter 4, says the Chamber of Commerce members who were met with the UCP caucus need to realize that money out of union worker’s pockets is money out of the economy’s pocket.

“They’re actually supporting a source that probably’s going to close their doors because if we [don’t have any] money to spend, our commerce can’t open their doors. We’re already a poor community, we’ve already lost a lot in the oilfields, and now we’re going through this and more cutbacks, I’m lucky if I can go for groceries at the end of the day.”

Trainor says she’s a one-income household, and Kenney’s promise to open the oilfields won’t make a positive impact on her household. She says the City’s taxes are already nearly two months of her wages, and any more increase in taxes or cuts to wages will cause her, and many others, a lot of problems.

Thelma Odgen, a Licensed Practical Nurse and member of AUPE, says these actions are pushing people into poverty or even homelessness, and all these people losing their jobs are taxpayers.

Wald says they will continue to picket and rally against the UCP government, and raise public awareness of the impacts the policies are making on Albertans. Protesters will gather outside Revolution Place on Monday evening, where the UCP is holding a dinner.

Members of the UCP could not be reached for a comment during the protest.